Temptations
by supertasticgirl
Summary: Even Grissom finds himself falling victim to his temptations…
1. Chapter 1

By: Purejoylove

Rating: T

Summary: Even Grissom finds himself falling victim to his temptations…

Disclaimer: CSI not mine. If it were, Catherine and Grissom would have an entire family by now.

Warning: Contains GSR, but of course, total GCR in the end  Oh, and there's the teeniest, tiniest mention of slash. Just so you know. Don't like, don't read.

Notes: Please read and review. I've been reading fanfic for a few months now, and this is my second fic, so be nice. Hasn't been beta read because I wasn't even sure I wanted to post this, so all mistakes are mine.

Gil Grissom walked into the break room to find his team all sitting around with bored, restless looks on their faces. As he came in with a folder tucked under his arm, they looked up and their eyes widened with excitement and relief.

"Are those our assignments?" Greg Sanders asked hopefully. He jumped out of his chair and dumped the rest of his coffee in the trash.

Grissom shook his head, and the light from Greg's face faded. "Sorry, Greg. You should have kept that coffee." Grissom replied. "It's just paperwork. It was the only thing I could dig up that we could do to be useful around here."

He tossed it onto the rectangular table where Sara Sidle, Nick Stokes, and Catherine Willows were gathered around. Nick took the file, opened it, then sighed. "This sucks, man." Nick muttered. "Where's a good homicide when you need it?"

"It's kinda weird, don't you think? All this crime suddenly coming to a stop over the past couple of days?" The dark-skinned Warrick Brown pointed out. He looked at Grissom. "What do you think, Grissom? Doesn't exactly seem normal."

"I don't know, Warrick." Grissom admitted. He continued with a raised brow. "But it's Vegas. Define normal."

They all nodded in agreement.

Nick shut the file and slid it to the end of the table. "Screw this; let's go get some breakfast or something, guys. I'm starving, and it's not like this paperwork'll walk away on its own two feet." He whined, his voice tinted with a Texan drawl. "We couldn't get that lucky."

Grissom and Sara exchanged glances, which didn't go unnoticed by Catherine. "Nick, how about you, me, Warrick, and Greg go." She sent them all looks. "Warrick, you drive."

"Uh, okay, Cath." Warrick said, interpreting the look. "Let's go, guys."

They left the room, Grissom sending Catherine an appreciative smile. Sara saw it and pursed her lips. A wave of energy flooded through her. She had managed to look past the part where Catherine was doing them a favor to have some time together alone, and focused on the smile the two had exchanged. They must have known she would have picked that up. It was, after all, her job, just like everyone else's in the room, to be observant.

Grissom turned to her and smiled. "Where would you like to go out, Miss Sidle?"

Sara shrugged. "Back to your place would be fine."

"Alright. I'll meet you at the car."


	2. Chapter 2

Warrick drove them to a local diner, where the team occasionally went to after a long shift. The waitress that came over didn't even have to ask what they wanted, just gave them a tired smile, Nick a wink, and retreated to the back of the restaurant to place their usual orders.

"This totally sucks," Nick said again, fiddling with his napkin. "Where do you think Grissom and Sara went? Back to his townhouse, probably. I can't believe how long they've been seeing each other, and they just told us about it!"

"Nicky," Catherine interrupted with a sharp tone, "Let it go. Relish in the fact that Grissom even _has_ a personal life now. It's understandable that he doesn't start a newsletter about it."

"Yeah," Nick continued. "But I told you. I told you all when I knew I was-" He looked around the diner, and when nobody was around, he said in a quieted voice, "Gay."

Catherine took his hand in hers from across the table. She had always had maternal feelings for him. "There's nothing wrong with it, Nick. There's nothing wrong with being gay."

"Well there's nothing wrong with Grissom seeing Sara, but obviously that had to be kept secret." Nick pouted.

The waitress returned to the table with their food.

"Grissom will be Grissom." Warrick sighed.

"And you know how people would be all over it," Greg added. "Not to mention Ecklie. Owch. That would be the biggest problem. He'd have a total field day."

"Yeah," Nick slowly admitted. "I guess you're right."

"But enough about Grissom's personal life, guys. You'd think we have better things to gossip about." Catherine chided.

"Yeah, like how good your bacon is." Greg said, grabbing one off her plate and popping it into his mouth. "I'm totally getting this next time."

Catherine playfully slapped his shoulder. "Hands off, bucko."

Warrick and Nick snickered and Greg grinned. They were all enjoying themselves together, and it had been ages since the last time. Although Grissom and Sara weren't there, they found they were still able to feel like family again, and a little easier now with the absences.

Grissom stood at his kitchen counter, pouring Sara a glass of orange juice. She sat on his leather couch, flipping through a forensic magazine she found on his side table. He then came to her, with a plate of eggs and a toasted bagel, and her juice in one arm, and his own in the other.

"Thanks." Sara said, taking her food. "So, what do you think is with the sudden crime stop? I think Warrick's right. It's not normal."

Grissom shook his head again. "I really don't know. But let's not talk about work."

"Okay." Sara complied, scooping up some of her egg. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know." Grissom said. "Us."

"What about us?" Sara asked.

"I don't know." Grissom repeated. He felt like there was something he needed to say. "I love you, Sara." That wasn't it, but it filled the empty gap.

She smiled at him and put a hand on his. "I love you too, Grissom."

They finished their breakfasts in silence, but it wasn't awkward. They enjoyed each other's presence. Afterwards, Sara returned home and Grissom cleaned up the dishes. He wanted to take the next step in their relationship, but had no idea how to. He wasn't even sure if he knew what the next step was. As Grissom got ready for bed, he decided he would find someone to help him find that next step.


	3. Chapter 3

It was the next day in the middle of shift. The paperwork and nothing else was what awaited the CSIs. So they all got to it, sitting around the table in the break room. The room was quiet, except for the bubbling of the coffee pot.

A phone beeped. Everyone checked their pages and cells. Nick opened his. "Hey."

Catherine up. "Who is it?" she mouthed.

"It's Gabe, guys. I'll be right back." Nick replied with a wide smile. He got up and walked out of the room.

Greg sighed. "He always looks so happy when Gabe calls. It's gotta be love."

"I've met Gabe," Warrick added. "He's a good guy. I think him and Nick will get along great together. I'm just happy that Nick finally found a diversion. I think with this job, everyone needs one."

"And what's your diversion, Warrick?" Catherine asked with a raised eyebrow.

Warrick shrugged. "I don't know. Haven't found mine yet. You?"

"My daughter, of course." Catherine replied. "Tomorrow's her birthday, so I'm taking a day off. By the way, Greg…" She fished four ten dollar bills from her pocket and tossed them to Greg. "Thanks for babysitting Lindsey last week."

"No problem." Greg shrugged. "I'm great with kids."

"But," Catherine cut in. "What was with the empty whipped cream container I found in the fridge?"

"Oh… Well, I…" Greg muttered. "Sorry, Cath. I'll replace it."

Catherine laughed. "I'm just teasing you, Greg. Lindsey loved you."

Warrick looked at Greg. "You used up a whole bottle of whipped cream? What'd you do?"

"Well," Greg grinned. "You probably didn't notice, but your tub of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce are empty, too."

The three of them snickered.

Grissom looked up from his papers, an annoyed look on his face.

"Sorry, Grissom." Warrick laughed, noting the look. "We're done now, aren't we, Greg, Catherine?"

The two nodded and hid their smiles behind their paperwork. But the atmosphere wasn't the same. The concentration was gone. Nick soon came back into the room, finding his colleagues strained into their work.

"How was Gabe?" Greg asked.

"Greg," Grissom said warningly.

"Sorry. I just wanna know. Then I'm done talking. I swear." Greg promised.

"He's good. He just got back from California with his family." Nick replied with a grin, then taking his seat. "I'm going to go see tomorrow after shift."

Just then, Brass and Sofia walked in, his arm around her waist. "Hey, gang," Brass said from the door. "Busy busting bad guys, I see."

"You haven't given us any bad guys to bust, Brass." Grissom retorted without looking up from his work.

Brass gave him a quizzical glance, and Catherine explained, "He's frustrated."

"Well, we didn't mean to disturb you; we just came to tell you that we're leaving for Miami for a week." Sofia said. "Things are going pretty slowly around here, and Ecklie said it would be fine if we took some leave. Besides, you guys still have Vega and Conroy in case anything kicks up."

"Doubt it." Sara muttered. "But have a great time in Miami. Things are probably livelier over there."

"That's what we're hoping." Brass admitted, giving Sofia's waist a squeeze. She twisted around and kissed his neck.

No one in the room even tried to pretend like they weren't watching and enjoying the site of the two detectives in love. Ever since they had started seeing each other a couple months ago, their relationship had been pure bliss. It was something that every person in the room envied.

"See you in a week." Brass said, guiding Sofia out of the break room with a smile.

When they left, everyone let out a sigh.

"Wow." Warrick said.

"They're so happy." Catherine observed.

"You think?" Nick replied. "It's like the perfect relationship. They were made for each other."

Even Grissom smiled, and his hand found Sara's under the table. She squeezed back and their eyes locked.

"Alright, alright." Warrick said, not noticing Grissom and Sara's exchanged glance. "Back to work, everybody."

There was a mumble of agreements, and then the break room finally returned to a glassy silence.


	4. Chapter 4

Shift was finally over. Warrick stretched his arms then got out of the chair, his legs wobbly from having fallen asleep. "That was the worst shift ever." He muttered, grabbing his files.

"Yeah, no kidding. I'm so stiff." Nick agreed. "I'm going to the park and running for awhile to stretch everything out. Wanna come?"

"Sure. Greg, you in?"

The younger CSI looked up, his tired eyes blinking slowly. He finished what looked to be his fifth cup of coffee. "No thanks, man. I'm going home and crashing. If this is what we're doing tomorrow, too, I might just take a day off."

Catherine, who had finished her work barely a half an hour ago, had her arms folded on the table with her head resting on them. Sara looked at her and whispered to Grissom with a grin, "She's sleeping."

Grissom cleared his throat. "So, Catherine," he said in a loud voice.

Catherine jumped up. "Hmm? Oh, sorry, guys. I'm so exhausted."

"Well, shift is finally over." Sara replied. "And I feel your pain."

Sara began to get up and looked at Grissom expectantly.

"I'm going to go home and get some sleep too, Sara." Grissom said. "Sorry. Maybe we can do something tomorrow after work."

"No problem, Gris." Sara nodded, running a hand across his back. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

After she left, and Greg, Nick, and Warrick were clearing out of the room, Grissom turned to the bleary eyed Catherine. "You gonna be alright?"

"Oh, sure, sure." She said. "It was just a really long night last night."

"New boyfriend?" Grissom asked knowingly.

Catherine grinned and raised an eyebrow. "See you tomorrow, Gil."

They were walking through the parking lot when Nick's cell phone went off again. "This is Nick," he answered. "Hey, Gabe. Yeah. Alright, see you soon."

Warrick looked at him knowingly. "Rain check on the run?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah, if you guys don't mind. Sorry."

"Not at all." Warrick said. "We'll see you around. Tell Gabe I said hey. See ya around, man."

Nick got in his black Tahoe and drove away quickly. Warrick and Greg continued to walk to the back of the lot for their cars.


	5. Chapter 5

Sara sat in her bed, a Stephen King novel lying face down by her side. She sighed, set the book on her side table, and turned off the lights. Her eyes burned from the hours of paperwork, but her mind was still awake. She knew she loved Grissom. She knew Grissom loved her, too. Things in their relationship were just as good as Brass and Sofia's, minus the public displays of affection and any real physical contact. Sure, they exchanged hugs, kisses, and loving looks, but any sex life was almost out of the question. For now, anyway, Sara thought. It wasn't something they _needed_ to make their relationship good, but if only Grissom would realize how great it was anyway.

Sara wondered. With the twenty years of friendship that Grissom and Catherine shared under their belts, she had yet to see any romantic feelings between them, which was why she had stepped in. But Sara could never stop questioning if there had ever been something before, or if there ever would be.

She pushed the thought away. Why worry about something that obviously wasn't there?

With another oddly crimeless day, the sheriff had called all the CSIs and let them know they had paid leave until there was actual work to be done. After receiving the call, Sara went back to sleep. She had barely gotten two hours of rest, and decided to sleep away the dark circles under her eyes. After another six hours of sleep, Sara's phone rang again.

She answered it and didn't bother keeping the irritability out of her voice. "This is Sara."

"Hi, Sara." Grissom said in a light voice. "You sound tired. I'll call later."

"No, no. It's okay. I was just resting." Sara replied, feeling her spirits immediately being lifted. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to come over for a little bit. I don't know if you got Atwater's call, but we've got some time off." Grissom explained.

"Yeah, I got the call, too." Sara yawned. "But I'll be right over. See you soon."

She hung up and ran in the shower. Then, she got dressed in casual jeans and a t-shirt and put makeup around her eyes to fade away the bags. Not that Grissom would notice, she argued to herself.

Sara arrived at his townhouse door in a record time of fifteen minutes. He opened the door and greeted her wordlessly, a large, genuine smile on his face. When she walked in, he shut the door behind her and kissed her on the mouth, a little more roughly than usual. She kissed him back equaling him in power, but still holding back from full potential. She didn't this to stop any time soon. Grissom's guided her over to the couch and they fell on it, their lips still dancing together. Sara felt her body getting hotter and hotter, and she felt if she didn't take her clothes off she was going to scream. She reached for his belt buckle when his hands stopped her, and he pulled away.

Their eyes locked, and Grissom began to speak. "Sara, stop for a second. I want to tell you something."

Sara was breathing heavily. They both were. She grinned. "What is it?" She asked, bringing her face closer to his again.

"I love you, Sara," he said.

"I know you do." She replied, starting to kiss him again.

But for a second time, he pulled away. "Wait." He continued. "Sara… I want you to marry me."

Sara stared at him, her eyes widening. "You really wanna do this?" she asked him, unable to keep the humongous smile from her lips. He nodded, and she hugged him. "Then I want to marry you too, of course."

"I'm sorry," Grissom said in between light kisses. "I don't have a ring yet. This was totally unexpected. I didn't think I'd even have the nerve to-"

"It's alright. It's alright. Grissom, this is fine. I love you." Sara responded, showering him with kisses. Finally, she was completely convinced they could be endlessly happy.


	6. Chapter 6

Grissom called his team a few hours after proposing and shared the news. In celebration, Warrick had announced that they would all meet for dinner that night at the great calamari restaurant on Lake Mead in two hours.

Grissom and Sara lay on his bed for the first hour, holding hands and talking. After that, Sara drove home to get changed, and Grissom, too, got ready. He dug out his tux hanging in the back of his closet and put it on. When the clock read eight-thirty-six, Grissom drove out to the restaurant. Sara had called and told him she was already there with Warrick, Nick, and Greg and a reserved table in the back.

As he walked up through the restaurant's parking lot and up to the front door, he heard his name.

"Gil!"

He turned around.

"Hi, Catherine." He said.

"Gil." She smiled, giving him a tight hug. "Congratulations. I'm so happy for you. I can't believe you did it!"

"Yeah, neither can I," he admitted with a chuckle. A light breeze blew, and Catherine shivered under her thin, blue cocktail dress. Grissom put a hand on her shoulder and guided her inside. The feeling of her skin on his sent a tingle through his body. "Come on, it's freezing out here," he said.

Grissom took a seat between Catherine and Sara. Nick was on Sara's other side, asking Greg how to work his new cell phone. Warrick was complimenting Catherine on her dress, after congratulating Grissom and Sara for the seemingly infinitieth time.

"So," Nick said. "When's the wedding?"

Grissom and Sara exchanged smiles. "We don't really know yet, Nick." Grissom replied. "We were thinking maybe a spring wedding."

Warrick looked outside at the autumn leaves. "That's not a long wait. Sounds nice."

"And you're all invited." Sara added. "But you already knew that."

"Sweet!" Greg exclaimed. "Sara, you gotta invite some hot friends of yours, alright? What about that one friend you were telling me about from San Francisco with the belly ring? You showed me a picture once. I totally want to meet her."

Everyone laughed.

"Hey, Cath," Warrick whispered, as Greg began talking about the wild girls he had met while at college. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, of course." She replied. "Why?"

"Well, you've been kind of quiet all night, and there's a nasty bruise on your upper arm that I swear wasn't there last time I saw you." Warrick observed.

"You weren't supposed to see that." Catherine muttered, self-consciously running a hand over her arm.

"With this lighting I probably wouldn't have, but since I'm sitting right next to you," Warrick explained, referring to the dim candles and lamps all around. "So what happened? Get in a chick fight?"

"Not exactly." Catherine laughed quietly. It quickly faded from her face. "I, um, told this guy I was seeing to take a hike."

"You told Grissom yet?" Warrick asked. "You know he'll want to know about this."

"No, not tonight. Look how happy he is." Catherine pointed out. "Besides, I'm a big girl, I can handle it. And it's not like I'm the only one who obviously has something on my mind. What's got you?"

"Nothing. It's all this lack of productivity, I guess." Warrick said. "But it's alright. I know things'll pick up."

"Of course." Catherine agreed, not really sure herself.

"And make sure you talk to Grissom, Catherine. You guys are tight. Don't lose that." Warrick added.


	7. Chapter 7

Nick, like everyone else, was extremely happy for Grissom and Sara. But thinking of Gabe alone at his apartment made him almost wish they had waited to break the news for a couple hours, days, maybe... It wasn't often he could drive to the other side of town to see Gabe, and when he had gotten the call from Grissom, he had kissed Gabe goodbye and they had promised they'd see each other soon. But both knew that the next time could, and probably would, be awhile. Nonetheless, he could also feel the happiness radiating from the two next to him, and he couldn't blame them for that.

After the food had been eaten and boatloads of champagne drunk, Grissom fished out his wallet and began searching for money. But Warrick stopped him.

"Put that away, Gris," he ordered. "We got the bill tonight."

"We do?" Greg squeaked, shuffling through his pockets. "Damn, I think I brought a five."

Nick pulled out his wallet, too, and tossed a fifty on the table. "I got you covered, man." he replied, "But you owe me one."

"Okay. Thanks, Nick." Greg said.

Warrick and Catherine threw down their contributions as well.

"It's a good thing we're on paid leave," Catherine said quietly to Warrick with a small laugh, looking at the check.

"Yeah, I know." Warrick agreed. "But it's not everyday your best friend gets engaged, right? I thought we could splurge just this once."

Catherine nodded, glancing over at Grissom and Sara. Just then, his head turned and Catherine's eyes locked with his, the first time tonight. She smiled at him, but he just looked away.

Grissom couldn't keep his eyes off of Sara. She looked so stunning tonight, especially in the little red silk dress she was wearing. Her hair was pulled back and sat in a bun, with curls hanging to the side of her face. He ran his fingers over her shoulders and felt the soft material of the strap of her dress. He recognized the texture and tried to remember where it was from. Then, the navy blue from Catherine's dress caught his eye and his memory was jogged. Both her and Sara's dresses felt the same. He suppressed the urge to reach out and put a hand on Catherine's shoulder to feel hers again. When their eyes connected, he quickly looked away, thankful for the poor lighting to hide his slightly blushing cheeks. Grissom mentally scolded himself, and then brought his attention back to Sara.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" he asked her.

Sara smiled at him and put her hand over his. "I said, I think I'm going to head home now. I'm really tired. But you could come over if you wanted to."

"Nah, I'm alright. I'll call you tomorrow." Grissom promised.

Sara stood up and hugged everyone, thanking them for the fabulous dinner. Then, with a final kiss on the cheek to Grissom, she left.

Warrick, Catherine, and Grissom finished off the rest of the champagne as Greg and Nick headed out soon after. Once they had finished off the bottle, they headed out. Halfway to the door, Warrick said, "I think I forgot something at the table. I'll see you guys around."

Grissom nodded. "Thanks again, Warrick."

"No problem," he replied.

Catherine and Grissom continued out the door, but no more then a few steps out, she tripped. Luckily, Grissom caught her. He put his jacket around her shoulders. "Here, you'll freeze to death. And hold on to me." He directed her.

She did as she was told, but after almost walking into a parked car, she noted, "I think I'm a little tipsier than I thought."

Her slightly slurred speech confirmed it. "I think you're right." Grissom agreed. "You were hitting that bottle pretty hard. I think I'm going to drive you home tonight. You can get a cab back here tomorrow to get your car, but you shouldn't be driving like this right now."

He led her to his Denali and helped her into the passenger seat.

"So, Gil." Catherine said, as they drove out of the parking lot. "You're happy, right? Because you should be. What you and Sara have is something really good, and it's totally obvious. Eddie and I never had it that good. At first, it wasn't that bad. I thought I was in love with him. But there was always a tiny gut feeling telling me I was making a mistake. And in the end, it was right. It's always right, Gil. Just remember that." She finished her babble with a soft snore, and Grissom looked over to see her asleep.

Knowing Catherine was quite capable of handling her alcohol, he wondered how much she really drank. "How many did you throw back?" he asked with an amused grin, not really expecting an answer.

He then frowned. He couldn't remember even seeing Catherine touch her champagne flute. Then again, Grissom couldn't even remember talking to Catherine. All he could remember was Sara and how great she looked. Of course, looking at Catherine now, passed out in the passenger seat of his car, she looked great, too. She always did. Lightly, he ran a hand over her arm, and noticed her bruise. "What the hell, Cath?" he muttered, frowning again. Grissom made a mental note to ask her about it the next time they got together.

Once he pulled up Catherine's driveway, Grissom got out, walked around the car, and woke up Catherine. She mumbled something incoherent and stumbled out. Again, Grissom caught her. Then, she threw up on the pavement. Grissom observed there wasn't a single piece of solid food in its contents. It reeked solely of champagne He guided her to the front door and opened it with the spare key he knew was hidden on her porch.

When he got in, Lindsey was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hi Uncle Gil!" she exclaimed, seeing him walk in.

"Hi, Lindsey. How are you doing?" He replied, "Why don't you get ready to go to sleep? Your mommy's not feeling too well, so I'll put you to bed tonight."

"Okay. I can't wait to show you my new unicorn pajamas. Mommy got them for me last week at the mall, and they're my favorite!" she told him, scampering up the stairs.

Grissom laid Catherine down on the couch and went into the kitchen to wet a washcloth. He brought it back to her and placed it on her forehead. Catherine moaned and shivered. Grissom buttoned his coat around her and smoothed away a stray hair by her face. Although sleeping, her face looked troubled. Grissom made a mental note to ask her about it tomorrow. An in depth conversation wasn't something they had had in awhile.

Then he went upstairs where Lindsey was sitting on her bed putting her blonde hair into a ponytail. "I'm ready!" she announced once spotting Grissom at her bedroom doorway. She pointed to her colorful pajamas. "See these? They're my unicorn pajamas. Aren't they pretty?"

Grissom smiled and entered the room. "Yes, they are, Lindsey. You sure have a great mommy to buy you those."

"Yeah, I know." Lindsey said, sliding under the covers.

Grissom came over and kissed her forehead and turned off the lights. "Good night."

"Hey, Uncle Gil?" She called to him as he turned to leave.

"Yes, Lindsey?" he replied.

"Do you love my mommy?" she asked him, sitting up.

Grissom thought of a moment. "Of course I do." He told her. "Very much. She's my best friend."

"Okay. Good night." And with that, Lindsey flopped back down on her bed and buried herself under her covers.

"You know," Lindsey continued, as Grissom shut her door, "She loves you too."

When Grissom went back downstairs, he looked back at Catherine on the couch.

She was still sleeping. Of course, he loved her, Grissom thought. What wasn't there to love about Catherine? She was a great mother, a fabulous CSI, and the best friend a person could ask for.

As he headed out the door, there was a small voice in his head suggesting that maybe he should stay here for the night, just to hold down the fort and take care of Lindsey while Catherine was unconscious. But another voice argued that they would both be fine by the morning, and that he needed to take his ass home.

Hesitantly, Grissom obeyed the second voice and walked out the front door.


	8. Chapter 8

Three weeks later, and not much had changed. Crime had slowly begun to start up again, although it still hadn't regained its full impact.

With temporarily shorter shifts, Nick was able to see Gabe more, and their relationship had been going strong and steady. Whenever Catherine was out, the two babysat Lindsey as if she were their own. The two adored children and caring for Lindsey allowed them the exposure and experience they craved. As for Grissom and Sara, the two called each other every day, and had seen each other five times within the three weeks. Everyone's lives were temporarily slowed and more laid back, but it wasn't to say that they weren't ready for some excitement.

As a team, they hadn't really been together since Grissom and Sara's celebration dinner. Even then, ever since Grissom and Sara's relationship had gone public, the team was always giving them space; but at this extent it almost felt like they were being avoided. Sara hadn't noticed it, but it hit Grissom hard. Although he constantly had Sara by his side, an unfamiliar sensation of loneliness began to drive through his body.

Whenever there was a homicide or something for the CSIs to investigate, the sheriff called in one or two at a time to deal with it, finding no need to have a group of people sitting around uselessly at the lab.

They finally got their excuse to meet up again and spark some fun the night of the mandatory law enforcement benefit, which was also the same day as Greg's birthday. It was a black-tie event, which didn't thrill Grissom terribly to be putting on the monkey suit for the second time that month. Once a year was enough, but with a sigh, he took it out from the back of his closet.

The doorbell rang while Grissom was standing in front of his bathroom mirror attempting to put his tie on. He couldn't help but give an irritable and frustrated groan as he opened the door.

Sara stood in front of him in a strapless white dress that ended just before her knees and dipped suggestively on the neckline.

"Hey there," she grinned. "Boy, I wish I had a camera right now."

Grissom rolled his eyes. "Just give me a hand here," he replied, stepping aside for her to enter.

Sara leaned forward and began tying the tie. "We're already late." She said. "I think we were supposed to be there about five minutes ago. What happened to you? I thought you were always so punctual."

"It wouldn't have mattered." Grissom pointed out. "You're my ride. And you're late."

Sara looped the tie into a slightly lopsided bow and kissed him on the cheek. "Aw, that's okay. It'll give the guys something to talk about while they wait."

Grissom smirked and followed Sara to the parking lot where her black Camero waited for them. They held hands the entire way there as Sara drove, and Grissom turned on their favorite classical music station. For some reason, there was only one thing currently running through his mind right now—or rather, only one person. Memories of the attractive blonde in the blue cocktail dress reappeared in his mind, and Grissom was suddenly eager to see his best friend's face again.

Once they arrived at their destination, the two entered a ballroom full of law enforcement personnel. They found Warrick, Greg, Nick, and Catherine sitting at their own table in the back, already sipping wine. The guys were all in tuxes, and Catherine was in a floor-length form-fitting black dress with thin straps.

"Grissom! Sara! Hey! What's up, man?" Warrick greeted them. "You're late."

"Sorry. That'd be my fault." Sara replied. "Greg, happy birthday!" She walked over to him and hugged him.

Grissom patted him on the back.

Greg smiled. "Yeah, so, we decided that in honor of this significant day that we might start up a drinking game later. You guys in?"

Grissom and Sara exchanged glances. "Sure," Sara answered.

"But not too much." Warrick reminded Greg. "Nick and I are taking him down to the strip afterwards to continue on the party."

"Strip clubs, Greg?" Sara asked. "Sounds kinky."

Greg just shrugged, and Grissom as Catherine silently raised an eyebrow.

Grissom caught Catherine's eye and he smiled shyly. She smiled back, and then looked away and turned to talk to Warrick.

Music started beating through the speakers. Greg jumped up. "Come on, Warrick, let's go introduce ourselves to those cute blondes over there." He said, taking off immediately.

Warrick followed behind him, winking to everyone at the table.

"You guys want to be alone?" Catherine asked, beginning to get up out of her chair.

Grissom grabbed her wrist softly. "No, it's fine. Unless you're in desperate need of a dancing partner, then stay."

Catherine sat back down and shook her head and laughed. "I'm not drunk enough to dance yet." She noticed Sara on the other side of Grissom glaring at her. "But you know, some of the guys at the bar aren't looking half bad, so maybe I'll get started."

And with that, she left.

Sara squeezed Grissom's hand and grinned happily. Grissom looked at her and returned a smaller smile, but there was something bothering him. He loved spending time alone with Sara, but lately he felt overwhelmed. Dark little voices swelled the corners of his mind and asked him if he thought that proposing to Sara so soon was a mistake. He missed hanging out with the team and listening to them all talk and sync together. But now, they had sort of broken apart. He was definitely feeling overwhelmed.

Grissom watched Greg and Warrick talking to some girls by the dance floor, who were fresh out of training and currently causing havoc and turning heads in the police department. Obviously, they hadn't made their way in by brains.

Nick was off to the side talking on his phone, with Gabe, no doubt. Grissom was happy for Nick's strong growing relationship and he wished him the happiest. He wondered if it was the separation of the two that kept it like that, and he wondered what his relationship with Sara would be like if they saw each other less.

"Grissom." Sara said, jerking him back into the real world. She looked at him expectantly., then sighed as he returned to her a blank stare. "Wanna dance?"

The song was a slow, jazzy type. Grissom shrugged hesitantly and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet by Sara. She led him to the dance floor, winded herself in his arms, and they swayed.

Sara rested her head on Grissom's chest, but she could tell without looking up that something was on his mind. It bothered her. "Something wrong, baby?" she asked him, looking into his distracted baby blues darting around the room.

His gaze switched to her face. "No, I'm just… I don't know. A little tired, that's all."

"Well, we can head home early together." Sara suggested. "I'll drive you, if you want."

Grissom's eyes finally settled on the bar, where Catherine sat. There was a man standing behind her, leaning over her shoulder and whispering in her ear. She gave him an amazingly bright smile, and Grissom read her lips.

"Sorry, I'm already with someone."

But the man didn't seem to be picking up that he wasn't wanted.

"I'm going to go get a drink, Sara. I'll catch up with you later." Grissom said, beginning to walk away.

Being brushed off like that made Sara feel like she was getting a good kick in the stomach. But she watched him leave and head over to the bar where Catherine was, and suddenly her good mood was completely ruined. She stalked off to find the guys, not wanting to stay in the middle of the dance floor alone like a loser.

Sara first found Nick, who was standing by the door with his phone. He was just hanging up as Sara approached him. "Hey," she said. "That Gabe?"

"Yeah." Nick replied, a frown on his face. "I might leave a little early tonight. Won't be able to see him for awhile because he's traveling again."

Sara put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, let's go find Greg and Warrick. They'll cheer us up."

Nick agreed. "Sure. Where's Grissom?"

"He's at the bar." Sara told him dully. "It's fine."

She quickly grabbed Nick's hand and dragged him off in search of the other guys, not wanting to get into depth with this conversation.

Grissom walked over to the bar, only feeling slightly guilty for having ditched Sara like that. After all, she was his fiancée. But he was thinking maybe he should suggest giving each other some space.

"Excuse me," Grissom said loudly, turning the head of the man lingering over Catherine. "Honey, may I have a word with you?"

Grissom glared down the man, who finally got the hint and stalked away.

"Hey, Gil. Thanks. I don't even think that guy's a law enforcer." Catherine greeted him, sipping away the last of what looked to be a martini. "Where's Sara?"

Grissom shrugged, not wanting to talk about it. Catherine took the hint. Grissom then asked, "Are you supposed to feel a sudden invasion of space before you get married?"

Catherine pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "Yeah. It is. And if you get used to it, the marriage usually thrives. If not, then, well, you know. Just remember that you're committing, here, Gil. You can't just suddenly change your mind and back out."

Grissom absorbed her words and nodded. The bartender came over and asked him what he wanted. Grissom hesitated, not completely familiar to the world of alcohol. Catherine stepped in and ordered him a drink that he had never heard of before.

"They're good." Catherine explained after the bartender left. "But if you don't like it, I'll switch with you. This is a little lighter."

The bartender soon returned with Grissom's drink. Catherine took the tab before Grissom could even so much protest. The first sip hit hard. The second wasn't as bad, seeing as half his mouth felt numb.

"Strong stuff," he observed.

Catherine nodded. "Mhmm. Don't drink it too fast unless you really want Sara to take you home totally trashed. Oh yeah, I guess I never really talked to you much since your celebration dinner, but thanks for getting me home that night. Lindsey said she showed you her pajamas. She was very excited about that."

Grissom looked up from his drink to her smile. He returned it wholeheartedly. "She's a great kid, Cath. She's getting to be more like you everyday."

Catherine frowned slightly. "Well, I don't know if that's such a great thing. I mean, look at me." Grissom already was, not able to take his eyes off her. "Well," she continued, "I think I'm going to head home before I get wasted. I shouldn't make you cart me home every time we're out."

She got up and started walking out.

"Wait." Grissom said, scanning the room for Sara. She was walking around with Nick and headed towards Greg and Warrick. "I'll walk you to your car. It's stuffy in here. I need a little fresh air."

The two of them managed to make it to the door without bumping into the sheriff and receiving a highly disapproving stare. The air outside was chilly again, and Grissom put his hands on Catherine's shoulders and rubbed them. The two walked mid-way into the parking lot when they stopped at her car.

Her keys dangled from her hands, and she grinned. "Well, thanks for walking me out here, Gil. Good night."

"Good night," he replied, not moving.

Their eyes locked, and there was an electric connection between them so that neither could look away. Time seemed to freeze. Suddenly, Grissom leaned forward and his lips crashed into Catherine's. He pinned her to her car and let his hands travel to her neck and run through her hair. The seconds seemed like hours as their mouths danced in a way that Grissom never experienced with Sara. His loneliness was forgotten. Although they were standing in the cold, he was immediately warmed from head to toe. He never wanted to stop.

But then, Catherine pushed him off of her. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she hissed, "What the hell, Grissom?"

"I-I…" he was unable to think of anything to say.

Her eyes glared coldly at him. "You're getting married, for god's sake. You think Sara deserves this? You think _I_ deserve this?"

"No, wait, Catherine-"

He reached out to her, but she twisted away and opened her car door. "Get the hell away from me, Grissom. Go back inside to your fiancée. I'm leaving."

And with that, she slammed her door shut and quickly drove off.

Grissom stood in awe, his mouth hanging open. The electricity that had traveled through them had been amazing. Unbelievable. When he kissed or touched Sara, it seemed like there weren't even sparks. No, there definitely weren't.

Suddenly, guilt rushed over him. He still loved Sara. But he also now knew he loved Catherine, too, and to a different, higher extent. With waves of confusion pulsating through his body, Grissom slowly turned and went back inside.

Greg, Nick, and Warrick met him by the doorway. "Hey, Gris!" they greeted him.

"We're gonna take Greg down to the Strip, now, for some late night celebrating." Warrick said.

"Sara's inside still." Nick added.

"Yeah, can you believe she didn't want to come with us?" Greg asked.

"Well, make sure you boys call taxis to and from, got it?" Grissom instructed them. "At least Warrick and Greg."

Nick nodded, still totally sober. "Don't worry, boss, I'll make sure they're both home safe."

Grissom nodded thankfully, patted Nick on the back, and went inside. Sara was at the bar occupying Catherine's former seat, sipping a beer. Grissom sat down next to her, and she ignored him. He touched her arm gently.

"Sara?" he asked her, "I'm ready to leave, wanna come back to my place?"

Sara turned to him, her eyes uncertain. "I don't know, Grissom." She began.

Grissom kissed her roughly, hoping to squeeze some electricity from her lips, but there was still no connection. But when he opened her eyes, Sara was grinning at him with sparkling eyes, obviously more satisfied than him.

"To your place it is, Mr. Grissom." She told him, hopping off her bar stool. "Let's go."

Grissom tried to put on a believable smile as Sara led him to the car and drove to his place, but there was still something inside him that hurt inside, and he couldn't figure out what it was or how to make it stop.


	9. Chapter 9

Two days later, things were still running smooth between Grissom and Sara, although both felt it was a little forced, and the tension was palpable. Around the lab, Grissom barely saw Catherine anywhere, and when he did, she refused to talk to him unless it was strictly work related. It drove Grissom insane, and it didn't help with Sara always hanging around, trying her hardest to make the relationship work. Sara, however, was loving that Catherine wasn't hanging around much anymore.

It was at the end of the shift when Grissom finally decided to end it.

"Sara," he said slowly, looking at her from across his desk. "I-"

"Grissom." She interrupted. "I know what you're going to say. I know lately things have been kind of weird, but I can change. Grissom, I can change. Please. I still love you. I thought that things were going okay."

"Sara." Grissom repeated firmly. "You were right the first time. Things have been weird. I love you too, but not romantically. I think that maybe we shouldn't get married."

The room was dead silent.

Sara cracked a thin smile. "Okay. Okay, Grissom. Maybe all we need is a little time away from each other.."

Tears were swelling in her eyes, which Grissom noticed guiltily. He reflexively wanted to apologize, but then said in a firm voice, "No, Sara. We need to end this. It's not working out."

Slowly, Sara nodded. Her voice was straining to remain emotionless, but nevertheless began to shake. "I guess it's a good thing you didn't buy those rings yet."

She quickly got up and walked out of his office and down the hall, wiping away the tears that were starting to fall uncontrollably.

Grissom laid his head in his hands and sighed. He felt like a complete asshole, yet there was another part of him that felt like it had finally been freed. Minutes later, Nick appeared at the doorway.

"Hey, Gris," he said, holding a case file. "I finished my 419 downtown and I need your authorization signature."

Grissom nodded and took the folder from Nick. He scribbled on his name and watched Nick turn to leave. Right before he did, Grissom called him back. "Nick, can you do me a favor?"

Nick nodded. "Sure, Grissom. What's up?"

"Go tell Catherine I need to see her in my office. It's important and it can't wait. Tell her it's about her suspicious circs case."

Nick, like the rest of the team, noticed the tension between the two best friends, and nodded again. He felt paternal vibes from two, and recently it was like two parents on a heated argument nearing closer to divorce. It was unsettling.

"Sure, Grissom." Nick said again. "I'll get her in two seconds. She just came back from the field a few minutes ago, I think. Hold on."

A few moments later, Catherine popped her head through the doorway. "Nick said you needed something?" she asked in a short tone.

"Yes, come in and shut the door, Catherine." Grissom instructed her. He watched as she glared at him, and hesitantly entered. "Can we talk?"

"Of course. You know that case Nicky and I have been working? Well, we finished it and-"

"I know, Nick already came in about that." Grissom interrupted. He received another, harsher glare from her, but ignored it. "Catherine, we need to talk about us."

"Well, Grissom," Catherine replied. "We're at work. You've told me enough times that personal business needs to be handled after shift."

"Then come have breakfast with me." Grissom said. "After shift. And then we can talk. Either way, it needs to happen, Catherine. What do you say?"

"Obviously, I'm fighting a battle I won't be winning," Catherine muttered, "So, what the hell, fine."

Grissom smiled warmly at her. "Thank you. I'll meet you by my car after shift then."

Catherine shrugged and turned around and walked out. Grissom watched her leave, an amused smile sitting on his lips. He knew she was still furious with him, which made her even more incredibly sexy, but he'd make her see his reasoning, now that he'd ended it with Sara. And then he could finally acquire what he'd been missing and unknowingly wanting in life for so long.

Immediately after shift, Grissom rushed to his car. He waited for Catherine to show up, wondering if she had stood him up. It sounded like something she would do, but he knew her too well, and they had been friends for too long. She would show.

Ten minutes after standing in the cold alone, Catherine walked out of the crime lab. She seemed surprised to see Grissom leaning on his black Denali, awaiting her with a smile.

"Hello, Catherine," Grissom said, opening the passenger seat for her and going around to open his own.

"Hello, Grissom." Catherine replied, still refusing to call him by his first name again. She slammed her door shut.

The drive to Grissom's townhouse was silent. He wasn't really sure of what to say, and he didn't want to get her more upset before they even arrived. When they got there, Grissom began to make breakfast and Catherine sat on his leather couch with a screwdriver, their formerly common ritual before Sara had come into the picture.

"No butter, right?" Grissom asked from the kitchen, sliding a lightly toasted bagel next to some scrambled eggs onto her plate.

"Yeah," Catherine called back, peeking through the window shades at the rising sun.

Shortly, Grissom entered his living room with two plates, handing one to Catherine and sitting next to her on the couch, leaving plenty of space. "It's over," Grissom began softly. "It's over between me and Sara. Things were ending even before… that night, Cath. I don't know why I asked her to marry me. I guess I was just hoping that things would work out."

"So, now what? Is that supposed to justify for you kissing me while you were still with Sara? What do you want, for everything just to go back to the way it was before?" Catherine whispered, scooping up a forkful of egg.

"I don't know." Grissom answered truthfully. Although, he had silently been hoping that some of the tension around the lab would ebb, and that maybe his and Catherine's relationship could go down the path untraveled. "Catherine?"

She looked up from her plate and met his eyes for the first time that night.

"What do you suppose would have happened if I hadn't been with Sara when I kissed you?"

Catherine thought for a moment. "I don't know," she echoed. But she knew. Every moment she had seen the two together, it had stabbed away at her secret hopes and desires.

"Catherine?" he repeated slowly, putting his plate on the side table. "Do you think I could kiss you now?"

"I-"

Before she could fully respond, Grissom's soft kiss descended upon her quickly. His hand rested on her shoulder, as the pressure of their lips intensified. Catherine opened her mouth, inviting him in, and she leaned in and put her arms on his. Grissom followed her lead, deepening the kiss, pulling her closer to him.

Suddenly, she pulled away. "Gil," she breathed.

He smiled. "Yes, Catherine?"

She set the plate aside. "I'm really not hungry anymore."

"After knowing you for more than twenty years and not being able to kiss or touch you, I'm starved." Grissom replied, leaning back in and kissing her, harder this time.

Catherine laughed and kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pushed her down on the couch.


	10. Chapter 10

Even as Catherine walked through her front door later that morning, she couldn't get the smile off her face. She kissed Lindsey as the young girl headed to the bus stop, and then headed upstairs. She peeled off her clothes, threw on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, and slid under the covers of her bed.

She could still taste him on her lips, feel his arms wrap around her, and the happiness they had poured out to each other. Drawing the sheets around her shoulders, Catherine shuddered. Every inch of her had wanted to protest when she finally pulled away from Grissom and told him that she needed to get home. But he had promised her that they'd get together again. And then he told her he loved her. Tears had come to her eyes.

"I love you too, Gil," she replied, looking up into his eyes. "With all my heart."

Although, part of her felt guilt. She had seen how happy Grissom had been with Sara. The dopey look he had in his eye when they were anywhere near each other in the lab. And now that dopey look in his eye was for her. Everything had changed so quickly.

"Shit." Catherine whispered to herself. She ran her fingers through her hair and inhaled deeply. She lay there for a few moments, cursing to herself and breathing in slowly. After awhile, she just couldn't take it anymore, and snatched up the phone by her bedside table.

She dialed the familiar numbers and waited until his voice picked up. Catherine sighed again. "Gil."

"Catherine." Grissom replied. She picture him with the phone to his ear, grinning wildly. And if she wasn't drowning in guilt for Sara, she would have been, too.

"Gil, I think we need to talk." Catherine told him. "I-just… It feels like you were so, so happy with Sara, and you ended it with her so fast. I mean, you were going to get married, for god's sake. Gil, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But I don't want to be another Sara; another person you convince yourself that you love, and at the last second, back out of the relationship. I've been through too many of those. I can't take anymore. So, tell me, Gil. How do I know that when we start seeing each other, right in the middle of it you're not just going to call me into your office and call it quits?"

Grissom listened to her, and remained silent a few moments after she was done. She heard his steady breathing over the phone, letting her know he was still there. "Cath," he began. "I've known you for more than twenty years. We've been best friends, and I've admired you from the very minute I met you. You know how socially deficient I am. I could never bring myself up to tell you that I have wanted to take our relationship to the next level."

Catherine was listening to him very closely. He continued.

"I began seeing Sara to try and get over you, actually. I thought that she could fill the spot in my heart that I had been saving for you. But no matter how hard I tried, she just wasn't the one. And I think both of us knew that for a very long time. Ending our relationship was best for both of us. Both of us knew that the only person that could ever fill that special place in my heart is you."

Grissom heard Catherine inhale sharply. "Catherine? Please, don't cry." He whispered. "Catherine Willows, I know that you've been through a lot. I know that guys have dragged you through things that cause you pain and tears, and I hate them for that. But you need to know that I'm not one of them and the only thing I want to do is to make you and Lindsey very happy because I love both of you. With all my heart."

There was a pause, as Catherine sniffled. "God, Gil…" she said, her voice trembling. "I love you, too. I… I don't want to be hurt anymore."

"Catherine, I swear I will never hurt you as long as I live." Grissom promised.

There was more crying. "I know." She told him.

"Is Lindsey at school?"

"Yeah."

"Catherine, why don't you drive back here. You and I can take the shift off tomorrow, and we can pick Lindsey up after school later." Grissom suggested, happy that her sobs were ceasing.

"Okay." Catherine answered softly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

After that, Catherine hung up the phone and dashed out to her car, not even bothering to change. Quickly, she started up the car and bolted down the driveway. She was definitely sure she was breaking the speed limit, but at the moment she was too eager to be back in Grissom's arms to care.

Jim Brass and Sofia Curtis stood at a hot dog stand on the side of the busy road eating their lunch. They were discussing Miami and how nice it was to be back.

"You know, Sara and Grissom aren't seeing each other anymore." Sofia told Jim.

"Really?" Jim replied, sighing in relief. "Great. I never really liked those two together. If anyone, I always thought that Catherine and him would-"

"That's what Nick said. He thinks that Gil called it all quits to be with her." Sofia interrupted.

Brass smiled. "It'd be about time."

Just then, Catherine Willow's grey Camero zoomed by the hot dog stand. Brass was barely able to identify her by her strawberry blonde hair falling elegantly over her shoulders.

"Holy…" Sofia muttered. "Was that Catherine? She's like, 20 over the speed limit. Should we...?"

"Nah." Brass replied. "We're homicide detectives. I'll put it on radio to let her fly, anyway. Betcha fifty bucks where she's going at that rate anyway. It's all for the better."

Sofia grinned. "Acts of the inevitable. It's about time they were happy."

Brass nodded in agreement. "And I'll betcha fifty more that they won't be showing up for work tomorrow."

The female homicide detective laughed.


	11. Story Notes

So, I actually started writing this fic before _Pop the Springs_, but it was half-finished and I had absolutely no clue as how to finish it off. I will admit, it was very difficult to figure out how to end this. The second half was written in about two hours in one night. Damn those plot bunnies. Haha. Anyway, hope you enjoyed _Temptations_ and continue looking forward to my fics, as I will try to keep new and exciting stories of Gil and Cath coming. As a reminder, all characters belong to CBS, and all mistakes are my own. Thanks.


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